


Little Bun

by fightforyourwrite



Category: Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Genre: Children, Cute Kids, F/M, Married Couple, Married Life, Post-Canon, Rabbits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:21:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23032390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fightforyourwrite/pseuds/fightforyourwrite
Summary: Phillip and Aurora's daughter makes a new friend.
Relationships: Aurora/Phillip (Disney)
Kudos: 10





	Little Bun

**Author's Note:**

> Princess Dawn has become a recurring character in my Phillora fics. Check out Dawn and Mornings if you want to see more of her.

Aurora and Phillip considered themselves to be good parents. Despite their royal duties, they made time for their daughter, the young Princess Dawn. They tried to give her every comfort and luxury they could provide, whether it be playing with her in the castle courtyard or singing sweet lullabies to her at night.

However, they had finally run into something that they just had to deny her. 

It happened in the castle gardens on a bright day in March, where the sun burned the sky blue and no cloud could be seen in the atmosphere. 

Despite how beautiful the day was, the little princess could not appreciate it. She was currently looking up at her parents with a glum frown on her adorable face. 

“But do I  _ have  _ to let him go?” Dawn asked. In her hands, the Princess held a very small and very cute baby bunny. 

Its fur was white and its eyes were dark and beady. The little thing had been running around the grass, soon befriending the princess once their paths had crossed. It only took a minute for Dawn to realize that she wanted to take the fluffy thing into her home and keep it forever. 

Unfortunately, Phillip and Aurora just had to tell her no.

“I’ll take care of him, Papa,” Dawn insisted. “I promise.”

Phillip knelt down to his daughter and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “And I believe you, but that bunny probably has a Mama and Papa of its own. They probably miss him.” 

Dawn frowned like a very sad puppy, then began holding onto her small rabbit friend protectively. “Can you be his new Mama and Papa?” 

Kneeling down as well, Aurora gave her daughter a soft smile. “Not when we have a little bunny of our own to take care of.” 

When Dawn glanced down, Aurora reached over and placed a finger underneath her daughter’s chin, gently tipping her face up until two pairs of eyes met. 

“Dawn, sweetie, you know what you have to do.” 

The little princess let out a sigh. Even for a three-year-old, she had a certain level of comprehension about the world, definitely enough to understand what needed to be done. She turned around and took a few steps back towards the gardens. She knelt down, whispered a quick goodbye to her furry little friend, and let the small white bunny run free in the grass. It spent a few moments sniffing at her bare feet before running off and disappearing behind the shrubbery. 

When Dawn turned around and walked back towards her parents, the little princess had a rather sour expression on her face. 

“You did well,” Phillip said. He then took his daughter in his arms and lifted her up, her head nestling in the crook of his neck. 

“I did well,” Dawn repeated, although the tone of her voice seemed to be tinged with sour resentment. Adorable resentment though, seeing as the words came from a three-year-old. 

As the family walked back towards the castle, Aurora could swear she heard Dawn muttering something about how things will be different once she’s queen. 

* * *

An afternoon of rolling in the grass and befriending woodland creatures had done its work on the young princess, so Aurora helped Dawn wash up before dinner. She cleaned the dirt from her face, picked the leaves and twigs from her hair, and washed the grime off her tiny little feet. 

Even though Dawn inherited her mother’s tendency to go barefoot outside, they both agreed to wear shoes at the dinner table. 

The two of them were in Dawn’s room — the little one sat in front of a vanity mirror while her mother stood behind her, making good use of a hairbrush. 

Some time had passed since Dawn attempted to adopt that rabbit, yet she still looked upset. 

Aurora noticed, and fittingly asked: “Are you still thinking about it?” 

“No,” Dawn replied sourly, but her grumpiness being a dead give away. “Why’d I have to give it back?” 

Aurora put the brush down. She placed her hands gently on her daughter’s shoulders and knelt down, looking at her using the reflection of the mirror. “Because sometimes it’s okay to say goodbye to your friends. Goodbye doesn’t mean forever.”

“How do you know?”

“Trust me, little bun, I know,” Aurora responded, giving her daughter a soft smile. She placed a gentle peck on the little one's cheek, then got back to work with the brush. “And don’t worry about your friend, I have a feeling you two will meet again.”

This seemed to calm Dawn down a bit. Her frown faded away, the grumpiness in her eyes leaving with it. 

For a few more moments, Aurora continued brushing Dawn’s hair. Even for a three year old, her hair required the utmost care and attention. Whenever the bristles of the brush caught on a knot, Aurora would slow down and gently work at it until it disappeared.

Just as she finished, Aurora heard Dawn say:

“Mama?” 

“Hm?”

“Would you give me away?” 

“Not in a million years.” 

And with that said, the last thing Aurora wrapped her arms around her daughter, picked the little one up once more, and pressed another kiss to her cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> Headcanon that "Little Bun" becomes Aurora's affectionate nickname for her daughter.


End file.
